Personal computer systems are well known in the art. They have attained widespread use for providing computer power to many segments of today's modern society. Personal computers (PCs) may be defined as a desktop, server, floor standing, portable or laptop computer that may include a system unit having at least one central processing unit (CPU) and associated volatile and non-volatile memory, including random access memory (RAM) and basic input/output system read only memory (BIOS ROM), a system monitor, a keyboard, a CD/DVD drive, a fixed disk storage drive (also known as a “hard drive”), a pointing device such as, a mouse, and an optional network interface adapter. These systems may include the use of a motherboard to electrically connect these components together.
Computers are one of the most stolen electronic devices on the market today. After being stolen, a portable computer is typically removed from its area of use and resold in another area. This prevents local police from easily recovering the computer.
Once a computer is stolen or otherwise removed from its area of use, data from the hard drive may be accessed. Previous attempts at security have been aimed at protecting the computer. However, the really valuable part of the computer may be the data stored on the hard drive and the previous attempts at security do not appear to address the security of the hard drive.